A method for depositing one or more materials on a substrate, such as for example, a semiconductor substrate that includes providing the substrate; applying a polymer film to at least a portion of a surface of the substrate; and exposing the semiconductor substrate to a supercritical fluid containing at least one reactant for a time sufficient for the supercritical fluid to swell the polymer and for the at least one reactant to penetrate the polymer film. The reactant is reacted to cause the deposition of the material on at least a portion of the substrate. The substrate is removed from the supercritical fluid, and the polymer film is removed. The process permits the precise deposition of materials without the need for removal of excess material using chemical, physical, or a combination of chemical and physical removal techniques.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A method for depositing one or more materials on a substrate comprising: providing a semiconductor substrate; said substrate including at least one trench or contact hole; applying a polymer film to at least a portion of a surface of said substrate; exposing said semiconductor substrate to a supercritical fluid containing at least one reactant for a time sufficient for said supercritical fluid to swell said polymer and for said at least one reactant to penetrate said polymer film; reacting said at least one reactant to deposit a material on at least a portion of said substrate; wherein said material is deposited in said trench or contact hole; removing said substrate from said supercritical fluid; and removing said polymer film.
2. A method for depositing one or more materials on a substrate comprising: providing a semiconductor substrate; applying a polymer film, in which said polymer is selected from the group consisting of polytetrafluoroethylene, polyether ketone, polyamide, Nylon, polyester, polyvinyl chloride, polycaprolactone, and polyvinylacetate, to at least a portion of a surface of said substrate; exposing said semiconductor substrate to a supercritical fluid containing at least one reactant for a time sufficient for said supercritical fluid to swell said polymer and for said at least one reactant to penetrate said polymer film; reacting said at least one reactant to deposit a material on at least a portion of said substrate; removing said substrate from said supercritical fluid; and removing said polymer film.
3. A method as claimed in claim 2 in which said supercritical fluid is selected from the group consisting of carbon dioxide, ammonia, C 1 through C 5 alcohols, C 2 through C 8 hydrocarbons, water, xenon, nitrous oxide, tetrafluoromethane, difluoromethane, tetrafluoroethane, pentafluoroethane, sulfur hexafluoride, CFC-12, HCFC-22, HCFC-123, HFC-116, HFC-134a, dimethylether, and mixtures thereof.
4. A method as claimed in claim 2 in which said semiconductor substrate includes at least one trench or contact hole.
5. A method as claimed in claim 4 in which said material is deposited in said trench or contact hole.
6. A method as claimed in claim 5 in which said trench or contact hole is substantially filled with said deposited material.
7. A method as claimed in claim 6 including recessing said material so that the upper surface thereof is below the upper surface of the sidewall of the trench or contact hole.
8. A method as claimed in claim 2 in which said at least one reactant comprises a metal-containing composition.
9. A method as claimed in claim 8 in which said metal-containing composition comprises one or more of Al, Au, Co, Cr, Hf, In, Ir, Mo, Ni, Pt, Pd, Rh, Ru, Sn, Ta, Ti, W, and Zr.
10. A method as claimed in claim 2 in which said at least one reactant comprises a dielectric material or a precursor to a dielectric material.
11. A method as claimed in claim 10 in which said dielectric material is selected from the group consisting of oxides, nitrides, and oxynitrides.
12. A method as claimed in claim 10 in which said dielectric precursor material comprises one or more of oxygen, nitrogen, silicon, Al, Zr, Ta, W, Ti, Ba, and Sr.
13. A method as claimed in claim 2 in which said polymer film has a thickness of from between about 0.01 to about 0.20 mm.
14. A method for depositing one or more materials on a substrate comprising: providing a semiconductor substrate; applying a polymer film to at least a portion of a surface of said substrate; exposing said semiconductor substrate to a supercritical fluid containing at least one metal-containing reactant for a time sufficient for said supercritical fluid to swell said polymer and for said at least one metal-containing reactant to penetrate said polymer film; reacting said at least one metal-containing reactant to deposit a metal-containing material on at least a portion of said substrate; removing said substrate from said supercritical fluid; and removing said polymer film.
15. A method for depositing one or more materials on a substrate comprising: providing a semiconductor substrate; applying a polymer film, in which said polymer is selected from the group consisting of polytetrafluoroethylene, polyether ketone, polyamide, Nylon, polyester, polyvinyl chloride, polycaprolactone, and polyvinylacetate, to at least a portion of a surface of said substrate; exposing said semiconductor substrate to a supercritical fluid containing at least one metal-containing reactant for a time sufficient for said supercritical fluid to swell said polymer and for said at least one metal-containing reactant to penetrate said polymer film; reacting said at least one metal-containing reactant to deposit a metal-containing material on at least a portion of said substrate; removing said substrate from said supercritical fluid; and removing said polymer film.
16. A method as claimed in claim 15 in which said supercritical fluid is selected from the group consisting of carbon dioxide, ammonia, C 1 through C 5 alcohols, C 2 through C 8 hydrocarbons, water, xenon, nitrous oxide, tetrafluoromethane, difluoromethane, tetrafluoroethane, pentafluoroethane, sulfur hexafluoride, CFC-12, HCFC-22, HCFC-123, HFC-116, HFC-134a, dimethylether, and mixtures thereof.
17. A method as claimed in claim 15 which said semiconductor substrate includes at least one trench or contact hole.
18. A method as claimed in claim 17 in which said metal-containing material is deposited in said trench or contact hole.
19. A method as claimed in claim 18 in which said trench or contact hole is substantially filled with said deposited metal-containing material.
20. A method as claimed in claim 19 including recessing said metal-containing material so that the upper surface thereof is below the upper surface of the sidewall of the trench or contact hole.
21. A method as claimed in claim 15 in which said metal-containing material comprises one or more of Al, Au, Co, Cr, Hf, In, Ir, Mo, Ni, Pt, Pd, Rh, Ru, Sn, Ta, Ti, W, and Zr.
22. A method as claimed in claim 15 in which said polymer film has a thickness of from between about 0.01 to about 0.20 mm.
23. A method for depositing one or more materials on a substrate comprising: providing a semiconductor substrate; applying a polymer film, in which said polymer is selected from the group consisting of polytetrafluoroethylene, polyether ketone, polyamide, Nylon, polyester, polyvinyl chloride, polycaprolactone, and polyvinylacetate, to at least a portion of a surface of said substrate; exposing said semiconductor substrate to a supercritical fluid containing at least one dielectric precursor reactant for a time sufficient for said supercritical fluid to swell said polymer and for said at least one dielectric precursor reactant to penetrate said polymer film; reacting said at least one dielectric precursor reactant to deposit a dielectric material on at least a portion of said substrate; removing said substrate from said supercritical fluid; and removing said polymer film.
24. A method as claimed in claim 23 in which said supercritical fluid is selected from the group consisting of carbon dioxide, ammonia, C 1 through C 5 alcohols, C 2 through C 8 hydrocarbons, water, xenon, nitrous oxide, tetrafluoromethane, difluoromethane, tetrafluoroethane, pentafluoroethane, sulfur hexafluoride, CFC-12, HCFC-22, HCFC-123, HFC-116, HFC-134a, dimethylether, and mixtures thereof.
25. A method as claimed in claim 23 in which in which said dielectric precursor reactant comprises one or more of oxygen, nitrogen, silicon, Al, Zr, Ta, W, Ti, Ba, and Sr.
26. A method as claimed in claim 23 in which said dielectric material is selected from the group consisting of oxides, nitrides, and oxynitrides.
27. A method as claimed in claim 23 in which said dielectric material comprises a high K dielectric material.
28. A method as claimed in claim 23 in which said dielectric material is selected from the group consisting of silicon oxides, aluminum oxides, zirconium oxides, tantalum oxides, titanium oxides, barium strontium titanates, and silicon nitrides.
29. A method as claimed in claim 23 in which said polymer film has a thickness of from between about 0.01 to about 0.20 mm.
30. A method for depositing one or more materials on a substrate comprising: providing a semiconductor substrate; applying a polymer film to at least a portion of a surface of said substrate; exposing said semiconductor substrate to a supercritical fluid containing at least one dielectric precursor reactant for a time sufficient for said supercritical fluid to swell said polymer and for said at least one dielectric precursor reactant to penetrate said polymer film; reacting said at least one dielectric precursor reactant to deposit a dielectric material on at least a portion of said substrate; removing said substrate from said supercritical fluid; and removing said polymer film.
31. A method for depositing one or more materials on a substrate comprising: providing a semiconductor substrate; applying a polymer film having a thickness of from between about 0.01 to about 0.20 mm to at least a portion of a surface of said substrate; wherein said polymer is selected from the group consisting of polytetrafluoroethylene, polyether ketone, polyamide, Nylon, polyester, polyvinyl chloride, polycaprolactone, and polyvinylacetate; exposing said semiconductor substrate to supercritical CO 2 containing at least one reactant for a time sufficient for said supercritical CO 2 to swell said polymer and for said at least one reactant to penetrate said polymer film; reacting said at least one reactant to deposit a material on at least a portion of said substrate; removing said substrate from said supercritical CO 2 ; and removing said polymer film.
32. A method for depositing one or more materials on a substrate comprising: providing a semiconductor substrate; applying a polymer film having a thickness of from between about 0.01 to about 0.20 mm to at least a portion of a surface of said substrate; exposing said semiconductor substrate to supercritical CO 2 containing at least one metal-containing reactant for a time sufficient for said supercritical CO 2 to swell said polymer and for said at least one metal-containing reactant to penetrate said polymer film; reacting said at least one metal-containing reactant to deposit a metal-containing material on at least a portion of said substrate; removing said substrate from said supercritical CO 2 ; and removing said polymer film.
33. A method for depositing one or more materials on a substrate comprising: providing a semiconductor substrate; applying a polymer film having a thickness of from between about 0.01 to about 0.20 mm to at least a portion of a surface of said substrate; exposing said semiconductor substrate to supercritical CO 2 containing at least one dielectric precursor reactant for a time sufficient for said supercritical CO 2 to swell said polymer and for said at least one dielectric precursor reactant to penetrate said polymer film; reacting said at least one dielectric precursor reactant to deposit a dielectric material on at least a portion of said substrate; removing said substrate from said supercritical CO 2 ; and removing said polymer film.
Cooperative Patent Classification codes for this invention. Click any code to explore related patents in that topic.
September 1, 2005
September 1, 2009
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